This is the official blog of the Nigeria-based Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), a human rights organization which promotes, protects and projects the rights of Muslims. This group condemns terrorism and all acts of violence. Its motto is 'Dialogue, Not Violence'

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Catholic church worshippers in a lecture hall in Bayero University, Kano (BUK), were attacked by about six gunmen who threw bombs and fired automatic rifles, causing pandemonium. About fifteen people have been reported dead.

Coming on the heels of the bomb attack in Kaduna two days earlier which left about six people dead, the attack inside Bayero University is one too many. Once again, we of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) reiterate our unflinching condemnation of attacks on places of worship and worshippers. Such attacks symbolize total disrespect for the Supreme Creator and signpost an astounding manifestation of ignorance about the ways of God.

MURIC believes that those responsible for this horrendous crime have acted in contradistinction with the tenets of religion. There is therefore an urgent need for Nigerians to review their understanding of religion with a view to placing the latter in its proper perspective. We charge school authorities to place high premium on the study of religion.

The attack at BUK exposes the ineptitude of the Nigerian security apparatus. This attack could have been prevented if those in charge had been visionary and imaginative. We charge the security agencies to be more alive to their responsibilities. Forward-looking protection manouvres coupled with properly coordinated intelligence gathering must be the focus of those in charge of our security. No loopholes must be allowed. In particular, all places used for worshipping by Christians in the North must be given full protection. In the same vein, security agencies must be on guard in places of worship in the South.

We appeal to all stakeholders to exercise restraint. We urge the perpetrators of these attacks to lay down their weapons and embrace dialogue. For procrastinating on proposed talks with this violent group, MURIC holds the Federal Government responsible for this tragedy. Instead of listening to the voice of reason and creating an atmosphere conducive to ceasefire and genuine dialogue, Government has been threatening to eliminate Boko Haram 'before July'. The warning of well-meaning Nigerians that force alone could not guarantee peace in the present ugly situation was ignored. This official lackadaisical attitude is as condemnable as the bombing itself. Why is government wasting the lives of poor and innocent Nigerians?

MURIC charges the Jonathan administration to wake up from its deep slumber before this country goes under. The Nigerian leadership needs to understudy daily doses of dynamism being injected into certain progressive states by the governors. Nigeria seems to have situated in the centre what ought to have domiciled in a remote local government. That is why nothing is working. We jog the conscience of the ruling Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) to show interest in the security of lives of ordinary Nigerians instead of seeking phantom secession in faraway State of Oshun.

Catholic church worshippers in a lecture hall in Bayero University,
Kano (BUK), were attacked by about six gunmen who threw bombs and
fired automatic rifles, causing pandemonium. About fifteen people have
been reported dead.

Coming on the heels of the bomb attack in Kaduna two days earlier
which left about six people dead, the attack inside Bayero University
is one too many. Once again, we of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC)
reiterate our unflinching condemnation of attacks on places of worship
and worshippers. Such attacks symbolize total disrespect for the
Supreme Creator and signpost an astounding manifestation of ignorance
about the ways of God.

MURIC believes that those responsible for this horrendous crime have
acted in contradistinction with the tenets of religion. There is
therefore an urgent need for Nigerians to review their understanding
of religion with a view to placing the latter in its proper
perspective. We charge school authorities to place high premium on the
study of religion.

The attack at BUK exposes the ineptitude of the Nigerian security
apparatus. This attack could have been prevented if those in charge
had been visionary and imaginative. We charge the security agencies to
be more alive to their responsibilities. Forward-looking protection
manouvres coupled with properly coordinated intelligence gathering
must be the focus of those in charge of our security. No loopholes
must be allowed. In particular, all places used for worshipping by
Christians in the North must be given full protection. In the same
vein, security agencies must be on guard in places of worship in the
South.

We appeal to all stakeholders to exercise restraint. We urge the
perpetrators of these attacks to lay down their weapons and embrace
dialogue. For procrastinating on proposed talks with this violent
group, MURIC holds the Federal Government responsible for this
tragedy. Instead of listening to the voice of reason and creating an
atmosphere conducive to ceasefire and genuine dialogue, Government has
been threatening to eliminate Boko Haram 'before July'. The warning of
well-meaning Nigerians that force alone could not guarantee peace in
the present ugly situation was ignored. This official lackadaisical
attitude is as condemnable as the bombing itself. Why is government
wasting the lives of poor and innocent Nigerians?

MURIC charges the Jonathan administration to wake up from its deep
slumber before this country goes under. The Nigerian leadership needs
to understudy daily doses of dynamism being injected into certain
progressive states by the governors. Nigeria seems to have situated in
the centre what ought to have domiciled in a remote local government.
That is why nothing is working. We jog the conscience of the ruling
Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) to show interest in the security of
lives of ordinary Nigerians instead of seeking phantom secession in
faraway State of Oshun.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Coordinated bomb attacks rocked the Kaduna and Abuja offices of ThisDay newspaper today, Thursday 26th April, 2012. According to online sources, casualty figures reported so far are about forty. But there may be more.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) strongly denounces these attacks. They are not only barbaric and callous but also bestial and coldblooded. Any attack aimed at unarmed civilians must be roundly condemned by all right-thinking men. In particular, any violent attack aimed at the Fourth Estate of the Realm must be seen in its right perspective: a desperate move by frustrated elements to silence the only megaphone of the jamaheer (masses), the voice of the voiceless.

MURIC charges the Nigerian security services to go after the perpetrators of this dastardly act and bring them to book within the shortest possible time. Nigerians cannot continue to live in fear and bondage. We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria to put a stop to this senseless carnage by hearkening to the advice of well-meaning Nigerians who have advocated dialogue with all aggrieved parties.

It is painful that so many innocent people have died for no fault of their own. Yet it is the poor and oppressed who are falling victims. We fear that many more may lose their lives or get maimed unless government tackles this matter with seriousness and sincerity. We reject the Federal Governments grandstanding on this issue. Is it because no high-ranking government official has fallen victim of the bombs? Government should come down its high horse and act like a responsible public institution.

MURIC condoles the families of today's bomb blasts and prays that Almighty Allah will grant them the strength to bear their losses. We sympathise with the management and staff of ThisDay newspaper and the Nigerian Union of Journalists.

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Dear Lawmakers, As-Salaam Alaykum. I addressed a letter to Yoruba governors last week over the issue of hijab for Muslim pupils in public schools. Reactions to the letter coming from the articulate though minority elite who have been wielding conscienceless power over the large majority of Muslims who constitute the powerless conscience block have been shockingly rude, uncivilized and generally carefree.For daring to make a demand for Muslims in the South-West, I was called unprintable names. Name-calling, however, will not make me lose my temper. I will not call anyone names in retaliation. I will insult nobody. I will maintain a language that is parliamentarian. I wonder though if some 'elites' could go this far with an ordinary class teacher like me, what will they not do when the governors start reacting positively to the issues raised in my letter. Perhaps I should, at this juncture, refer you to my letter to the governors which was published simultaneously in my weekly column in the Nigerian Compass of Friday, 6th May, 2012, page 17 and the National Mirror of the same day, page 30.This is what informed my decision to write another letter to you as the representatives of the people. You have a crucial role to play in the unfolding scenario and posterity will be there to judge you. Destiny has placed you on a platform imbued with the right mechanism for a microscopic and analytical approach to the question at stake. As the debate on hijab rages on, our lawmakers can make their presence felt in a positive way by raising this matter in the houses of assembly in Yorubaland. We have a tradition of peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths throughout the region. We are not used to killing, maiming, burning and looting over religious differences. This tradition can further be strengthened with a skillful resolution of the hijab affair on the floors of the state parliaments.Distinguished parliamentarians, Muslim parents in the region are feeling the heat of religious repression particularly in the public schools. The point of focus is the current school uniform whose design violates all known norms of Islam. They are demanding that the uniforms to be used by Muslim children should respect their faith. This may not necessarily be a coat of many colours or bring sharp contradictions between the present uniform and the design which they are suggesting. The only difference will be the hijab or head cover which Muslim girls will have on top of their present uniform. The colour and stuff of the material used for the uniform will be the same. Muslim parents believe that all their efforts to inculcate the culture of Islam in their children are being truncated by the public schools who disallow the children from using the hijab. It is tempting to consider this as trivial but it is very fundamental. Anyone with a good understanding of Muslims and the way they hold the Islamic culture will easily see the point I am trying to make.Discordant tunes are already coming from several parts of the region. Muslim parents have gone out to the streets to demonstrate openly against the current school uniform. We do not want to wait until violent-prone elements and enemies of peace hijack the situation. I am therefore urging members of the houses of assembly in the region to take a dispassionate look at the matter. A bill is all it takes to douse tension in the region. Teachers who beat up Muslim children for wearing hijab outside the school compound (not within the school premises), to my mind, have acted ultra vires. This action is capable of setting off a crisis of unimaginable proportion, the type we have never seen in Yorubaland. I pray the day never comes. But it may be a disaster waiting to happen. What shall we all say then? Can we say nobody warned us?This is the purpose of this letter. A stitch in time saves more than nine. Some of us happen to be in a position to feel the pulse of Muslims in general. The best we can do for this country and for the region is to let you know if and when we notice that something is just not right. We do not have to wait until things start happening.Of course I do not need to point out your responsibilities as lawmakers in a democratic dispensation. Muslims are complaining that the system being run in the land has failed to carry them along. They feel marginalized. I belong to an Islamic school of thought which is allergic to violent agitation. We believe that dialogue can resolve a lot of issues. Lives and properties will be saved. Peace, progress and prosperity will be guaranteed.I urge you all, honourable lawmakers, to take a very objective stand on this case. If the Muslims are part of this country and this region, the system should embrace them. It must be inclusive, not exclusive. Democracy is all about participation and involvement of all parties. It is high time we started giving the Muslims what we have given their Christian counterparts. Hijab is for the Muslims. Let us give them. It is didactic to know that Muslim children use the hijab in all private schools established by the Muslims in Yorubaland. Of course government cannot take that from them. But the message here is that it means this is what the Muslims want. It is also disturbing to note that hijab is used in all public schools in the North. Whenever this point is raised, opponents ask the Muslims in Yorubaland to pack their bags and baggages and go to the North. This sends a wrong signal, namely, Muslims are free to enjoy the dividends of democracy in the North but they must be denied in Yorubaland. Does this promote the ideals of peaceful coexistence? We reserve the right to demand that we all sit down to discuss matters which affect us. I sincerely hope that our honourable lawmakers in the hallowed chambers in Yorubaland will allow justice, fairness and equity to prevail.Allah bless you all as you deliberate. May peace continue to reign in Yorubaland and may Allah bring the state of insecurity in Nigeria to an end.Professor Is-haq Akintola, Lagos State University,P.O. Box 10211,LASU Post Office,HO 102 101,Ojo, Lagos,Nigeria.Tel. 234-803-346-4974 234-818-211-9714Website: www.ishaqakintola.comBlog: drishaqakintola.blogspot.comFacebook: facebook.com/ishaqakintolaTwitter: ishaqakintolaI remain oppressed untill the hungry are fed, the naked clothed, the sick healed and the homeless sheltered

Your Excellencies, Ogbeni, Omoluabi, As-Salaam Alaykum, may Allah bless you all. May your tenures be peaceful and fruitful. I am writing this letter to you in pursuit of dialogue, an essential ingredient of peaceful coexistence. I am motivated by my passion for peaceful coexistence. I urge the close aides of the governors to bring this message to their notice if they do not read it by themselves. I know that governance is a very difficult task and you work round the clock. You may not notice this article coming from an inconsequential classroom teacher. But I am aware that the crop of governors we now have in this region are God-fearing. What they need is information and sound reasoning from whoever has a case.

I hereby put the case of Muslims of this region before Your Excellencies. Yorubaland has stood out for its 'tolerance' and 'mutual co-existence'. Christians, Muslims and traditionalists live peacefully among themselves. There has never been any serious breach of the peace arising from religious misunderstanding. My prayer is that this situation should subsist. Yet the signals coming from certain recent incidents in the region are symptomatic of the existence of a sword of Damocles hanging over our heads and something needs to be done urgently to arrest the situation before extremists from outside capitalize on it to foment trouble.

I am referring to the ongoing debate on the use of hijab by female Muslim students in public schools. This imbroglio may escalate if not properly handled. Already, Muslims in the region are alleging Islamophobia on the part of school administrators. When leaving home, Muslim parents train their female children to use hijab on top of the school uniform and to remove them only at the school gate. The children are expected to put on their hijab once they are on their way back home.

Unfortunately school administrators appear to have been high-handed in their reactions to the hijab saga. In an obviously overzealous move, the school principals instructed teachers to beat up students who wear the hijab outside the school premises. Anxious to out-Herod Herod, the teachers have been carrying out this Draconian order. The result has been near-catastrophic as clashes have been reported in Surulere, Lagos Island, Agege, and as far away as Iwo in Oshun State. Astounded at the sight of 'strangers' bullying their children on the streets and in public buses, parents have pounced on some of the teachers. I personally intervened to stop a planned demonstration of Muslim parents in Ajangbadi area of Lagos about two months ago. I advised them to write the school authorities instead.The hijab episode in Iwo snowballed into open demonstration by Muslim parents, school children and many Islamic organizations. It took the skilled diplomacy and personal involvement of the state governor to douse tensions. Yet the last may not have been heard of the Iwo experience. What is interesting here is the insistence of Christian leaders that Muslim children should not be allowed to wear hijab.

Such a development compels an historical analysis. Today was born from the wombs of yesterday. If we do not know where we are going, at least we should know where we came from. Islam arrived in Nigeria in 1085 and had penetrated most parts of Yorubaland by the 17th century, about two hundred years before the advent of British colonialists. Though Muslims in Yorubaland were already accustomed to doing things the Islamic way, the colonialists forcefully reversed this trend.

Your Excellencies, permit me to assert that the school uniform which is in use in public schools in the South-West today is one of the legacies of the British. What the Muslims are saying today is that fifty-two years after independence, they are still being compelled to wear Christian colonialist school uniforms. It is high time we sat down to discuss what type of uniform we want. That is what is done in civilized societies. It is alright if the uniform suits Muslim norms but the reverse is the case. Muslims regard colonialist uniform as an assault on moral decency, particularly on female students. Puritanists in the campaign for decent dressing camp find it contradictory that our society retains a uniform fit only for night clubs while at the same time we claim to be fighting HIV and AIDS, early pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, etc.Democracy thrives where the method is participatory, not exclusive. The Muslims in the South-West are saying they have never been allowed to make their choice since independence. The present school uniform was designed by the British colonialists. The designers were Christians. They did not consider the values of the Muslims while introducing the design. Now that they have been gone for fifty-two years and the Muslims are asking for a uniform which respects their value system, why don’t we listen to them?

It is natural and quite understandable that Christians in the South-West are comfortable with the uniform designed by the Christian colonialists. But there is a moral question where they pressure government not to accede to the demand of Muslims for a design that suits Islam. Peaceful coexistence flourishes where people live and let live, where people wish for themselves what they wish for others, where no group enslaves the other, where there is mutual respect.

What is in a school uniform? Muslims strongly suspect that a cut-throat game of numbers lies behind the opposition of Christians to Muslim demand for use of hijab in schools. This needs explanation. People know how important it is to 'catch them young'. If children are trained to do something they are likely to stick to it in future. The reverse is the case if they are robbed of the opportunity to do certain things in childhood. They are most likely to drift to other things they are used to. Simply put: if Muslim children are allowed to use hijab they will remain devoted Muslims whereas if they are disallowed they become easy targets for another religion. In essence, Muslim children are being rendered useless for their parents by denying them the use of hijab. Muslim parents cannot convince their children to use hijab after their long stay in school without it. You can only bend a sapling, you cannot bend a tree.

Christian opposition in this regard is therefore a strategy to debilitate Muslim population in the region at the expense of Christianity. But should state governments allow the use of state machinery and funds to promote such a parochial agenda? Can this foster peace?We want to continue living in peace with our Christian neighbours. We want to do everything in our power to banish religious violence from the region. We want to banish Boko Haram propensities from Yorubaland but we need the political will of Your Excellencies: the will to ensure that the dividends of democracy are extended to Muslims in the region. The right to use hijab with school uniform is part of our dividend of democracy. Section 38 (i) and (ii) of the 1999 constitution guarantees religious freedom, including the 'right to manifest' that freedom. That is why all the court cases involving this hijab palaver have ended in favour of Muslim litigants.Is it not curious that female Muslim students use hijab in public schools in the North? Is it not the same Nigeria? Why is it that all private schools established by Muslims in the South-West use the hijab? It proves without any iota of doubt that this is what the Muslims want. The Muslims will fully support Christians in their choice of what they want as design of their own uniform. If they are satisfied with the status quo, they should, in the interest of peace, equal right and justice, hold their peace and allow the Muslims to have what they want.

For the avoidance of doubt, the ideal school uniform of a female Muslim student is a three-piece affair: a loose gown reaching below the knees, a trouser underneath that matches the uniform's colour and a hijab on top of the head. This is the type of uniform used in public schools in the North. Nonetheless, this is not a campaign that can be forced down anybody's throat via violent protests or by attacking one another. I therefore urge Muslim parents and the youths to remain calm and law-abiding. Let us wait for our governors. We cannot afford to destroy properties belonging to our relations and neighbours all in the name of religion. That will be a disservice to the cause of Allah.Finally, I respectfully request that Your Excellencies initiate a dialogue session on this issue before long. This can only be done state by state. The first state to initiate this, to my mind, is the best in good governance. I expect that both Christians and Muslims will be invited. Thank you for listening. Allah bless you all.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Twin explosions rocked the city of Kaduna this morning killing abouttwenty people. The explosions occured close to a church. Many otherswere injured in the bomb attacks.

The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) strongly denounces this dastardlyact. Coming on a day when Christians are marking Easter Sunday, thetrend follows other attacks during Christmas and the Islamic festivalof Id al-Fitr. We are alarmed that criminal elements are targettingworshippers during festivities. This is an ugly and unacceptablepractice which should stop forthwith. MURIC therefore calls on thosebehind the bombings to cease fire.

MURIC however lays the lion share of the blame squarely on thedoorsteps of the Federal Government for dilly-dallying over the issueof dialogue with Boko Haram. The latest raid and attempt to arrest theleader of the group a few days ago is a step in the wrong direction.It cements the allegation of mediators and intermediaries who claimthat government agents were exploiting the talks to shadow leaders ofBoko Haram. It smacks of deceit and betrayal. These are definitely notthe enviable qualities of gentlemen.

Worse still, such dishonest moves by the Federal Government furtherexposes Nigerian citizens to grave dangers. MURIC charges the centralgovernment to take the lives of Nigerians seriously. The primary dutyof government is the provision of security for lives and properties.Government has a moral problem where it fails to do this. It istherefore imperative that FG opens a transparent and sincere dialogueprocess with the Boko Haram. Peace is paramount in the land for now.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

As the world marks Easter, we of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) felicitate with the body of Christ throughout the world. In particular, we identify ourselves with Nigerian Christendom as they enter the sober mood of the season.

The austere and completely selfless life of Jesus must not only be read as a book by the young and old, but digested as an indispensable nutritional supplement by Nigerian leaders. It takes more than an ordinary man to lay down his life for others in the same way that it takes more than ordinary leaders to lead without being oppressive, selfish or gluttonous.

Nigeria needs public office holders who are prepared to make personal sacrifices. This is the way for our leaders to prove that they are emulating Jesus. Our leaders must be ready to instill discipline in themselves and members of their family before asking the citizens to be morally upright. That is how to remove the log from their own eyes before they can complain of the speck in the eyes of the common man.

To this end, MURIC demands that all public office holders from the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the councilors in the local governments withdraw their children and wards studying in foreign lands back to Nigerian universities. We charge the National Assembly to initiate and pass a bill prohibiting people whose children and wards attend overseas institutions from holding public office. This is the only way to compel government to pay attention to our decaying education sector. Who feels it knows it.

In the same vein, MURIC calls for another bill banning public office holders from going abroad for medical treatment. Nigerian hospitals are ghosts of themselves today because they are not used by those in power. Our leaders are more likely to pay attention to the health sector if they are compelled by law to use the same hospitals used by the jamaheer (poor masses).

Finally, we urge Nigerian citizens to learn the crucial lessons of the Easter period, namely, self-sacrifice, altruism, moderation, love and forgiveness. Nigerians should love their neighbours according to themselves. We must bury Christian-Muslim acrimony. We appeal to all to shun religious bigotry and the attendant violence so that peace, which is an essential ingredient of progress, can reign in the land.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Your Excellencies, Ogbeni, Omoluabi, As-Salaam Alaykum, may Allahbless you all. May your tenures be peaceful and fruitful. I am writingthis letter to you in pursuit of dialogue, an essential ingredient ofpeaceful coexistence. I am motivated by my passion for peacefulcoexistence. I urge the close aides of the governors to bring thismessage to their notice if they do not read it by themselves. I knowthat governance is a very difficult task and you work round the clock.You may not notice this article coming from an inconsequentialclassroom teacher. But I am aware that the crop of governors we nowhave in this region are God-fearing. What they need is information andsound reasoning from whoever has a case.

I hereby put the case of Muslims of this region before YourExcellencies. Yorubaland has stood out for its 'tolerance' and 'mutualco-existence'. Christians, Muslims and traditionalists live peacefullyamong themselves. There has never been any serious breach of the peacearising from religious misunderstanding. My prayer is that thissituation should subsist. Yet the signals coming from certain recentincidents in the region are symptomatic of the existence of a sword ofDamocles hanging over our heads and something needs to be doneurgently to arrest the situation before extremists from outsidecapitalize on it to foment trouble.

I am referring to the ongoing debate on the use of hijab by femaleMuslim students in public schools. This imbroglio may escalate if notproperly handled. Already, Muslims in the region are allegingIslamophobia on the part of school administrators. When leaving home,Muslim parents train their female children to use hijab on top of theschool uniform and to remove them only at the school gate. Thechildren are expected to put on their hijab once they are on their wayback home.

Unfortunately school administrators appear to have been high-handed intheir reactions to the hijab saga. In an obviously overzealous move,the school principals instructed teachers to beat up students who wearthe hijab outside the school premises. Anxious to out-Herod Herod, theteachers have been carrying out this Draconian order. The result hasbeen near-catastrophic as clashes have been reported in Surulere,Lagos Island, Agege, and as far away as Iwo in Oshun State. Astoundedat the sight of 'strangers' bullying their children on the streets andin public buses, parents have pounced on some of the teachers. Ipersonally intervened to stop a planned demonstration of Muslimparents in Ajangbadi area of Lagos about two months ago. I advisedthem to write the school authorities instead.

The hijab episode in Iwo snowballed into open demonstration by Muslimparents, school children and many Islamic organizations. It took theskilled diplomacy and personal involvement of the state governor todouse tensions. Yet the last may not have been heard of the Iwoexperience. What is interesting here is the insistence of Christianleaders that Muslim children should not be allowed to wear hijab.

Such a development compels an historical analysis. Today was born fromthe wombs of yesterday. If we do not know where we are going, at leastwe should know where we came from. Islam arrived in Nigeria in 1085and had penetrated most parts of Yorubaland by the 17th century, abouttwo hundred years before the advent of British colonialists. ThoughMuslims in Yorubaland were already accustomed to doing things theIslamic way, the colonialists forcefully reversed this trend.

Your Excellencies, permit me to assert that the school uniform whichis in use in public schools in the South-West today is one of thelegacies of the British. What the Muslims are saying today is thatfifty-two years after independence, they are still being compelled towear Christian colonialist school uniforms. It is high time we satdown to discuss what type of uniform we want. That is what is done incivilized societies. It is alright if the uniform suits Muslim normsbut the reverse is the case. Muslims regard colonialist uniform as anassault on moral decency, particularly on female students. Puritanistsin the campaign for decent dressing camp find it contradictory thatour society retains a uniform fit only for night clubs while at thesame time we claim to be fighting HIV and AIDS, early pregnancy,juvenile delinquency, etc.

Democracy thrives where the method is participatory, not exclusive.The Muslims in the South-West are saying they have never been allowedto make their choice since independence. The present school uniformwas designed by the British colonialists. The designers wereChristians. They did not consider the values of the Muslims whileintroducing the design. Now that they have been gone for fifty-twoyears and the Muslims are asking for a uniform which respects theirvalue system, why don't we listen to them?

It is natural and quite understandable that Christians in theSouth-West are comfortable with the uniform designed by the Christiancolonialists. But there is a moral question where they pressuregovernment not to accede to the demand of Muslims for a design thatsuits Islam. Peaceful coexistence flourishes where people live and letlive, where people wish for themselves what they wish for others,where no group enslaves the other, where there is mutual respect.

What is in a school uniform? Muslims strongly suspect that acut-throat game of numbers lies behind the opposition of Christians toMuslim demand for use of hijab in schools. This needs explanation.People know how important it is to 'catch them young'. If children aretrained to do something they are likely to stick to it in future. Thereverse is the case if they are robbed of the opportunity to docertain things in childhood. They are most likely to drift to otherthings they are used to. Simply put: if Muslim children are allowed touse hijab they will remain devoted Muslims whereas if they aredisallowed they become easy targets for another religion. In essence,Muslim children are being rendered useless for their parents bydenying them the use of hijab. Muslim parents cannot convince theirchildren to use hijab after their long stay in school without it. Youcan only bend a sapling, you cannot bend a tree.

Christian opposition in this regard is therefore a strategy todebilitate Muslim population in the region at the expense ofChristianity. But should state governments allow the use of statemachinery and funds to promote such a parochial agenda? Can thisfoster peace?

We want to continue living in peace with our Christian neighbours. Wewant to do everything in our power to banish religious violence fromthe region. We want to banish Boko Haram propensities from Yorubalandbut we need the political will of Your Excellencies: the will toensure that the dividends of democracy are extended to Muslims in theregion. The right to use hijab with school uniform is part of ourdividend of democracy. Section 38 (i) and (ii) of the 1979constitution guarantees religious freedom, including the 'right tomanifest' that freedom. That is why all the court cases involving thishijab palaver have ended in favour of Muslim litigants.

Is it not curious that female Muslim students use hijab in publicschools in the North? Is it not the same Nigeria? Why is it that allprivate schools established by Muslims in the South-West use thehijab? It proves without any iota of doubt that this is what theMuslims want. The Muslims will fully support Christians in theirchoice of what they want as design of their own uniform. If they aresatisfied with the status quo, they should, in the interest of peace,equal right and justice, hold their peace and allow the Muslims tohave what they want.

For the avoidance of doubt, the ideal school uniform of a femaleMuslim student is a three-piece affair: a loose gown reaching belowthe knees, a trouser underneath that matches the uniform's colour anda hijab on top of the head. This is the type of uniform used in publicschools in the North. Nonetheless, this is not a campaign that can beforced down anybody's throat via violent protests or by attacking oneanother. I therefore urge Muslim parents and the youths to remain calmand law-abiding. Let us wait for our governors. We cannot afford todestroy properties belonging to our relations and neighbours all inthe name of religion. That will be a disservice to the cause of Allah.

Finally, I respectfully request that Your Excellencies initiate adialogue session on this issue before long. This can only be donestate by state. The first state to initiate this, to my mind, is thebest in good governance. I expect that both Christians and Muslimswill be invited. Thank you for listening. Allah bless you all.